The Washington Capitals may still be drunk from the Stanley Cup celebration, but the odds are already set for the 2018-19 Stanley Cup. And, it may not surprise anyone that the Tampa Bay Lightning are the current favorites to hoist the most beautiful trophy in sports. But, our beloved Nashville Predators aren’t too far behind them.
The Lightning are set at +1000, while the Preds sit at +1100. Behind those two, six teams have +1200 odds (Capitals, Golden Knights, Bruins, Jets, Penguins, and Maple Leafs).
Considering the firepower on Tampa Bay’s roster, it’s no surprise to see the Lightning tabbed as the front-runners to win the second title in franchise history. The Bolts made an appearance in the Eastern Conference final for the third time in four years before bowing out to the Capitals in seven games in the 2018 postseason. With names like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy leading the charge, the Lightning will be an extremely tough team to beat in the 2018-19 season.
That’s fair – I don’t know that the Preds have any one guy quite like Stamkos or Kucherov. But, they sure do have formidable depth that makes them just as complete a team as the Lightning. And, I’m definitely taking Pekka Rinne over Vasilevskiy, despite that YIKES-inducing postseason exit. All in all, I figure this is about right. The window is still wide open for the Preds, even though they’re going to have to make some decisions after next season.
The problem for them is the division they play in. Sure, the Lightning have to contend with the Bruins and the Maple Leafs. But, the Central Division is competitive from top to bottom. I don’t know if I’m betting on any Central Division team in June – it’s just too daunting of a gauntlet.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, the Senators, Canucks, and Coyotes have the longest odds at +7500. Nice to know that even dumpster fires show up on the Vegas sports books.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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